Beetroot and goat’s cheese tart

We have some delicious local goat’s cheese from Rod Wyker’s Southern Sky Cheese company in Invermay and with spring in the air we can imagine enjoying this tart with a glass of rose on the verandah.

Ingredients

1 bunch beetroot (about 400g), trimmed
30g unsalted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
2 red onions, thinly sliced
¼ cup (60ml) balsamic vinegar
2 tsp thyme leaves, plus extra sprigs
1 tbsp caster sugar
150g soft goat’s cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
150ml thickened cream
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
250g creme fraiche or sour cream
1 tbl bottled horseradish
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt, to season

For Pastry
1 1/3 cups (200g) plain flour
100g chilled unsalted butter, chopped
1 teaspoon thyme leaves

Method

Place beetroot in a pan of cold water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 1 hour, topping with water if necessary, until tender. Drain. Refresh under cold water and leave to cool. Peel and coarsely grate. Set aside.

Meanwhile, for the pastry, place flour, butter, thyme and a pinch salt in a food processor and whiz until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add 1/4 cup (60ml) chilled water, then process until the mixture comes together in a ball. Enclose in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Lightly grease a 30cm loose-bottomed tart pan. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry to 5mm thick, then use to line the tart pan. Chill for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line pastry with baking paper and fill with pastry weights or uncooked rice. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the paper and weights, then bake for 5 minutes or until dry and pale golden.

Heat the butter and oil in a frypan over medium heat. Add onions and 1 teaspoon salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, for 6-8 minutes until softened. Add beetroot, vinegar, thyme and sugar, then cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until thickened and syrupy. Spread beetroot mixture over the tart base, then crumble over cheese.

Whisk egg, cream and nutmeg together, then pour into tart case. Scatter with extra thyme. Bake for 35 minutes or until set.

Meanwhile, combine creme fraiche, horseradish, Dijon, and lemon juice, then season. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

Cut tart into slices and serve warm or cold with the horseradish cream and paired with a glass of our Holm Oak rosé.